Asbestos cement casket



Aug. 28, 1962 D. PARE 3,050,817

ASBESTOS CEMENT CASKET Filed Jan. 21. 1960 IN VEN TOR Donal PAR BQTENT AGENT United rates atent Free 3,950,817 ASBESTOS CEMENT CASKET Donat Par, Black Lake, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Les Cercueils Amiante LteeThe Asbestos Caskets Ltd, Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada Filed Jan. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 3,838 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 27-7) The present invention relates to cofi'ins for the dead,

and more particularly to an absolutely hermetic, waterproof and corrosion proof cofiin.

It has long been the aim to entomb the dead in a waterproof and corrosion proof enclosure in such a way as to preserve the dead against the action of external elements. This practice arises out of the respect due to the dead. To this aim, metal caskets are used, such as bronze or copper caskets, and often wooden caskets are laid in an external shell of metal. These caskets and outer shells are very expensive to manufacture and heavy to handle and yet have only relatively short duration in the grave, because moisture and chemical action of substances in the earth finally attack such metal shells and caskets.

It is therefore the general object of the present invention to provide a coifin and/ or an external shell for such coflins, which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and yet which are strong, durable, corrosion proof, rust proof, resistant to vermin, insects and other agents, immune to electrolysis and tuberculation and which when closed are absolutely hermetic and fluid proof and is also hygienic because its contents will never be discharged to the exterior.

Yet another important object of the present invention is the provision of a coflin of the character described which is made of premolded parts, assembled and glued together.

Yet another object of the present invention is the'provision of a coflin of the character described, which is devoid of any wooden parts and all metal parts are essentially only decorative elements which will not afiect the waterproofness of hermetic character of the coflin even when these metal parts become corroded.

Still another important object of the present invention is the provision of a coffin of the character described which has a new fluid proof and long lasting seal and which has an inner layer adapted to receive clip means for attaching decorative fabrics on the inside of the cofiin.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings in which:

1 FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the coffin;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of a slightly modified embodiment; and

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-section showing the sealing means and hinge means on an enlarged scale.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, the coffin of the invention is characterised by the fact that it is essentially made of an asbestos composition. More particularly, the cofiin is made of a composition of asbestos fibers and cement made into sheets or panels. It is preferred to use sheet asbestos cement in flat semi-compressed state, said sheet being made according to specification No. 34-GT-17B of the Canadian Government Specification Board.

In accordance with the invention, the sheet asbestos cement is molded into its final shape on a mold or form while the cement is still uncured and let to set in this final shape. The thickness of the sheet may vary between /8 and 1 inch. The molded cured parts are assembled and glued or cemented with a highly resistant cement of the plastic type, such as the plastic solder manufactured by the Shawinigan Chemical Co. of Shawinigan Falls, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a cofiin in accordance with the invention comprising a cover 1 of generally rectangular shape having at the perimeter thereof, an end flange 2; the box proper is composed of a main body section having a channel shape and defining a bottom 3 and longitudinal sidewalls 4 which are provided along their upper edge with an inwardly turned longitudinally extending lip 5, each lip 5 being recessed at both ends as shown at 6.

The box like structure is completed by end sections 7, which are arranged to nest in overlapping position within the ends of the main body section. Each end section 7 is composed of a panel 8 of rectangular shape and provided along its edge with lateral flanges S a bottom flange 10, and a top flange 11 which is recessed over most of its length as shown at 12.

As previously mentioned, each end section 7 is nested within the corresponding end portion of the main body section, such that the ends of the top flange 11 will fit within the recesses 6 at the end of the lips 5, and be aligned with said lips while lateral and bottom flanges 9 and 10 will overlap within the corresponding ends of the side walls 4 and bottom wall 3. The end sections are secured to the main body portion by means of a plastic solder'or other durable adhesive which is also corrosion and waterproof. Such a plastic solder is manufactured by the Shawinigan Chemicals Co. Ltd., Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, Canada.

Top and bottom molding 13 and 14 are secured to the longitudinal walls 4 by the same plastic solder or cement along the top and bottom edges of said walls.

The top moldings 13 are rabbeted along their top edge to provide a shoulder 15 serving as a rest and support for the cover 1, the flanges 2 of said cover abutting against said shoulders 15 in the closed position of the cover.

The top molding 13 runs also along the end sections 7 of the cofiin and the end flanges 2 of the cover 1 also engage shoulders 15 made in the end top molding sections.

The cover is pivoted on the body section of the cotfin by means of hinges .16, the hinge plates of which have an L-shape so as to extend along both right angular faces of the rabbet of the top moldings 13' at the back of the coffin; there are two or more hinges 16.

A female sealing member 17 is glued to the top lip or top flange 1'1 and to the top edge of the top molding 13 over the entire perimeter of the coffin; said female sealing member 17 has preferably a rectangular shape with a top opening groove 18 and its back face is flush with the vertical side of the rabbet 12, such that the edge portion of hinge plates 16 can be secured thereto.

The sealing member 17 is made of compressed asbestos composition similar to that used for brake linings, and is secured to the coffin by the adhesive previously mentioned. A male sealing member 19 of T- shaped cross-section and of similar asbesto composition as member 17, is secured underneath the cover 1 by means of the same adhesive, and its main leg is adapted to enter the groove 18 of member 17. Male sealing member 19 extends along the entire perimeter of the cover 1 so as to engage member 17.

In order to make the joint absolutely fluid proof, a flexible ribbon strip 20 of woven asbestos fiber thread of about 1% inch wide, woven like an oil lamp wick is positioned within groove 18 to be pressed in the bottom of said groove by the male sealing member 19. Preferably, the sealing strip 20 is previously impregnated with a mineral oil. This constitutes an absolutely water proof joint even under the sole weight of cover 1, which tioned, which upon curing permanently maintains the cover in closed position. j

Although it is preferable to make the main body section out of a channel shaped one-piece element, this main section could also be made of'two parts as shown in FIGURE 2, of L-shaped section each constituted by bottom 3' side 4 and lip 5'. The two half parts are joined along the middle of the bottom by means of an overlapping board 21 extending inside the casket and cemented to the half bottom parts 3 over their butting edges and also preferably riveted by means of copper rivets 22.

An auxiliary half cover 23 of preferably curved shape and conforming to the curved shape of the cover 1, is adapted to be removably positioned over half the length of the coffin to cover the lower part of the dead body, said half cover resting on the lips 5. This half cover can also be made of sheet asbestos cement as the main coflin.

External ornamental fixtures made of metal or otherwise, such as handles, may be cemented or riveted to the Walls of the coflin in usual manner. The external surface of the asbestos cement cofin can be painted, metallized orfinished in any other desired manner to obtain any suitable effect. Y

In order to line the inside of the coffin with satin or other decorative fabric, all the internal surfaces of the coffin including the unde'rfac'e of the cover are sprayed with a composition consisting of asbestos fibers compounded with an adhesive especially prepared so as to form a felt like coating 24 firmly adhering to the asbestos cement panels and which is sufliciently soft and yet strong for attaching clips or driving nails or tacks therein to serve for hooking the fabric. Such an asbestos felt-like layer, which may have a thickness of /2 inch, is known under the trade-mark Limpet as manufactured by Atlas Asbestos Company Limited of Montreal, Canada.

It is obvious that an outer shell for a casket can be made of cement asbestos sheet in'the same manner as the cofiin just described, so as to provide for a completely corrosion proof, and fiuid proof enclosure, for an ordinary wooden casket or coifin. Such an outer shell could also enclose an asbestos cement 'cofi'in in accordance with the present invention so as to result in an indestructible and permanently hermetic enclosure.

tom and integral longitudinal side walls, and'end sections defining the end walls of said structure, each of said end sections consisting of a panel with marginal flanges overlapping and secured to the bottom and longitudinal side walls of said body section, a molding secured to the top marginal portion of said end and side Walls externally of said box-like structure, said cover having along its perimeter a downwardly extending flange for resting. on said molding in the closed position thereof, and sealing means between said cover and box-like structure, said sealing means including a T-shaped male sealing member fixed underneath said cover and a grooved female sealing member fixed to the top of said molding and of saidend and side walls, the groove of said fem'alesealing member adapted to receive a rib of said male sealing member in the closed position of said cover, and a sealing strip of flexible woven asbestos fibers impregnated with a mineral oil disposed in the bottom of said groove to be'pressed by said rib of .said male sealing member. a

2. A coflin comprising a box-like structure and a cover therefor, both made of a composition of cement and asbestos, said box-like structure consisting of an elongated main body section having a channel shape defining a bottom and integral longitudinal side walls having their upper edges turned inwardly to form inwardly directed longitudinally extending lips, and end sections defining the end walls of said structure, each of said end sections consisting of a panel with marginal flanges overlapping and secured to the bottomand longitudinal side walls of said main body section, a molding secured to the top marginal portion of said end and sidewalls on the'outside of the latter, said cover having along its perimeter a down: wardly extending flange resting on said molding in the closed position of said cover with said cover spaced upwardly from said lips, sealing means between said cover and box-like structure, and anauxiliary half-cover restingdirectly on said lips and spaced inwardly from said cover, said sealing means including a T-shaped m-ale sealing member fixed underneath said cover and a grooved female sealing member fixed to ,the top of said lips and of said molding,- the groove of said female sealing member adapted to receive a rib of said male sealing member in the closed position of said cover, and a sealing strip of flexible woven asbestos fibers impregnated with a mineral oil disposed in the bottom of said groove to be pressed by said rib of said male sealing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent Re d De 25 1951 

